D.E.A.R. Reading Challenge

March 12 - April 12, 2008

In honor of Drop Everything and Read Day, Becky at Becky's Book Reviews is hosting a challenge. The D.E.A.R. Reading Challenge is flexible and asks not for a specific number of books, but a commitment of time. Participants may choose their level of commitment:

Level One: Commit to reading 30 minutes on D.E.A.R. day, April 12, 2008. It's a Saturday in case you're wondering.
Level Two: Commit to reading 30 minutes per day for three days. April 11, 2008 - April 13, 2008.
Level Three: Commit to reading 30 minutes per day for an entire week. April 6, 2008 - April 12, 2008.
Level Four: Commit to reading 30 minutes per day for an entire month. March 12, 2008 - April 12, 2008.

A blog is not a requirement of participation, and you don't have to focus on kid's books if you don't want to...

Sound like fun? For more details and to sign up visit Becky at the challenge post.

Anything Agatha Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2008

Better late than never - I don't know how I missed this one since I subscribe to Joy's feed...but I did. Joy from Thoughts of Joy is hosting the Anything Agatha Challenge. For those of you who love Agatha Christie, this is one you won't want to miss.

The "rules" are:
1. Read 10 of anything by Agatha Christie (choose from novels, short stories, plays, poems and non fiction).
2. Write a review and link it to Joy's blog through Mr. Linky

To sign up go to the first challenge post and sign up with Mr. Linky.

National Book Award Project

UPDATE: October 14, 2009 - There is a NEW blog for this project located here.

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No Time Limit

For those of you who love the perpetual challenges to read award winners, here's one for you! Sharon of Ex Libris is hosting The National Book Award Project. She is being flexible with the guidelines and says:

This is your project. Feel free to read the winners and/or finalists in any way you choose. Here are some suggestions:

1. Read all the winners of the National Book Award for fiction from 1950 to present.
2. Read all the winners and finalists of the National Book Award for fiction from 1950 to present.
3. Read the winners and finalists of the National Book Award for fiction of one year.
4. Read the winners of the National Book Award for fiction of one decade.
5. Read all the books that were winners or finalists by a single author (there are several authors who were finalists and/or won in multiple years).

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Participants may sign up at any time; there is a blog devoted to the challenge which you are encouraged to participate in, but aren't obligated to do so.

For more details and to sign up go to the challenge blog.

100+ Reading Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2008

J. Kaye is hosting the 100+ Reading Challenge. The concept is simple...read 100 or more books in 2008.

There is a Yahoo group set up for the challenge, as well as a group from Shelfari participating. Although you don't have to join them to join in the challenge fun!

If you want to join, go to the challenge blog to sign up!

Suspense-Thriller Challenge

January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2009

J. Kaye is sponsoring this wonderful, 2 year challenge. The Suspense-Thriller Challenge encourages reading from 12 of the sub-categories in Suspense-Thriller genre (yes there are many!). J. Kaye has an ongoing list of the sub-categories to choose from. She also has a Yahoo group set up for this challenge, AND if you are a Shelfari user, there is also a group there who is participating.

Interested? For sign ups and all the (gory!) details, go to the challenge blog.

The Novella Challenge

April 1 - September 30, 2008

Trish of Hey Lady! Watcha Readin'? is hosting her very first challenge! The Novella Challenge has its own site and is all about reading novellas - books longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel.

Guidelines for this challenge are:

1. Read 6 novellas in 6 months
2. A Novella is defined as between 100-250 pages (with some leeway allowed!)
3. You don't have to have your own blog
4. Provide reviews of the books you read either on your blog, on the challenge blog, or in the comments section of the challenge post.

Go to the challenge blog to read more, sign up, and get some great ideas of novellas to read!

Title Master Reading Challenge

Jenn has come up with a whacky, wonderful, wild challenge! The Title Master Reading Challenge encourages participants to read four (4) books whose titles have every word starting with the same letter (example: The Thirteenth Tale). Titles must be at least two words long. Overlaps are okay.

Jenn has a "suggestions" list and more details on the blog she created specifically for this challenge. Sound like fun? Stop off at the challenge blog for more details and sign ups.

Striving for Education Challenge

February 5 - December 25, 2008

Historia is hosting an Education Challenge beginning TODAY! She says:

This is a challenge for book lovers to read 4 books during 2008 (From February 5th to Xmas day - December 25th) about the education crisis. These should be non-fiction (TRUE) stories of schools that bucked the system to help their students. Most of these stories will come out of the USA. From the inner city school districts, and usually they involve the poor, the minorities and most often, the African-Americans, who have been marginalised by the education system.

She has some suggestions on the blog created for this challenge. Why not stop in there, read more about the challenge, and sign up to participate!

The Orange Prize Project

Perpetual Challenge
No Time Limit

In the spirit of Reading the Novels, The Complete Booker and The Pulitzer Project, I have decided to host the Orange Prize Project. This is a long-term project in which the participants will read all books that have won or been short listed for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction AND the Orange Broadband Award for New Writers. There is no time limit.

There is a challenge blog set up. For more information and to become a contributor to the blog, please visit the site.

Many thanks to Brandi who designed the wonderful button for this challenge. You can find Brandi at Brand Muffin Reviews, Brandi H. Roberts, Brand Dandy, and Gnu World Odor.

Eponymous Reading Challenge

March 1 - May 31, 2008

Coversgirl is hosting her very first reading challenge! The Eponymous Reading Challenge encourages participants to:

...read 4 books whose titles are the name of one or more of the characters (e.g. Evelina, Oscar and Lucinda); or a description of one or more of the characters (e.g. The Merchant of Venice, Sylvia’s Lovers).

Books can be non fiction and overlaps are allowed. To read more about the challenge and to sign up through Mr. Linky visit the challenge post.